Sweet Potato Soup With Ginger, Leek and Apple

Sweet Potato Soup With Ginger, Leek and Apple
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Rating
5(341)
Comments
Read comments

This was our favorite recipe test of the soup batch. Inspired by a sweet potato and apple purée I make every year for Thanksgiving, the soup also has savory overtones. For a spectacular finish, garnish each bowl with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of medium-hot chili powder or chipotle chili powder.

Featured in: Recipes for Health: Vegetable Soups, Smooth and Hearty

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe
  • Print Options


Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings.
  • 2tablespoons canola oil or butter
  • 2leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced
  • 4teaspoons minced fresh ginger
  • pounds orange sweet potatoes (like jewel yams or garnet yams), peeled and diced
  • ½pound Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 to 1¼pounds tart apples, like Braeburn or Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced
  • 2quarts water
  • Salt to taste
  • Fresh lime juice and medium-hot chili powder or chipotle chili powder for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

214 calories; 4 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 1123 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil or butter in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until it is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and stir together until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sweet potatoes, regular potato, apples and water and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes to an hour, until all of the ingredients are thoroughly tender.

  2. Step 2

    Using an immersion blender, purée the soup (or you can use a regular blender, working in batches and placing a kitchen towel over the top to avoid splashing) until very smooth. Return to the pot, heat through and adjust salt. Ladle into bowls, squeeze a little lime juice and sprinkle a little chili powder over each serving and serve.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead, but it's best freshly made.

Ratings

5 out of 5
341 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

I added a can of coconut milk & lemon juice. Amazing!

The real flavor is from the ginger.... Salt is important.

I was excited to try this recipe but underwhelmed by the result. I found the flavor flat and the texture thin. The only changes I made were to add a handful of carrots and swap the water for veggie broth. In retrospect, I think the coconut milk (as suggested above) would be a helpful addition.

Be liberal with the salt, since there is no stock. I added a can of coconut milk as suggested and it was lovely.

I roasted the sweet potatoes until quite well done, to intensify the flavor; used part chicken broth; and decreased the overall amount of liquid. I also added red pepper flakes as well as chipotle. That helped with the flavor. It's a pretty subtle soup, though.

I used 2 cups vegetable broth, 4 cups water, and one 13.5 oz can of coconut milk instead of all water. I also added two sprigs of chopped up fresh rosemary for some added flavor. Came out great with decent flavor even without the like and chili powder.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.